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NHL is messing up the World Cup, and an angry mailbag

Now that we're into the all-star break here's a dumb idea: Let's take the World Cup of Hockey and turn it into a novelty act.

That's what the NHL and NHL Players Association are set to announce in the coming days in Columbus.

It will all take place in Toronto in the fall of 2016. There will be six teams who've been in it before: Canada, the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic.

And two that have not been: A European all-star team; and a team of Canadian and Americans under the age of 23.

Think about that for a second. Let's forget the insult to Slovakia, or Switzerland. Or let's forget how much fun they're forgoing by not inviting Latvia, just by not having their drum-banging ballot-stuffing fans involved.

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Let's think about how soccer does it. Every country in the world competes in regional playdowns to get a chance to be one of the 32 invited.

Think about if soccer decided to go with 30 instead and invited a team of under-23s from South America and a bunch of all-stars from European countries that failed to qualify.

(I hope this isn't starting to make sense to you.)

What the league and players association is doing here is a disservice to competition in the truest sense of the word.

What's happening: the league wants to market its stars -- young and old.

To that end, it wants to make sure, for example, there's a spot for Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, Nathan MacKinnon, Seth Jones on the Under-23 team, just in case they don't make their national teams.

And they want to make sure that the likes of Anze Kopitar (Slovenia), Tomas Tatar and Marian Gaborik (both Slovakia) and Mats Zuccarello (Norway) have a team instead of having those national bodies earn an invitation.

Worried about competition? There's only a handful of soccer teams that have a legitimate chance to win soccer's World Cup in any given year, but everybody wants to be in it just to beat their chests.

So arguing that a Slovakia, Switzerland or Norway don't belong really misses the point.

And what if the unthinkable happens, and the Can-Am U-23s actually win. What anthem do they play? Something by Justin Bieber? Taylor Swift? And what capital will they visit with the trophy?

It's too late to do anything about this. Sponsors have bought in.

The World Cup is not a legitimate trophy. It is a marketing tool run by the league, designed to make money. It's a more expansive all-star game.

Want to create real buzz and grow the game internationally? Let the Latvians, the Swiss and others find a way to play into the tournament. Then those countries can have some fun, too. Maybe we can invite New Zealand, just for the Haka dance (below).

THE MAILBAG

I got a lot of questions -- many in the form of venting -- this week. Let's get to them. Some of you even yelled. Or had the ALL CAPS button stuck.

QUESTION: "As a long time supporter of the TML , I am fed up with the way they play. In the pre-season I watched this team play solid defence and explosive offence. Now I watch them with a not-care attitude. They are being paid to play a game that the majority of hockey-loving Canadians wish they had the talent to play and are paid well for it. In some regards I think too well. I know how the coaches must feel. They are in the pro’s. Therefore they can tell the players what they want. But, they can’t tie up skates and play the game. How do you motivate a guy to play well? I certainly don’t have the answer. We as Canadians will always watch hockey. And most of us will grumble, but, those same grumblers will be there cheering next year with hope and admiration of the same Leafs. Anyhow your welcome to correct my grammar if you choose to share my thoughts. Sincerely Robert Valcourt.

ANSWER: Rob, no need to be down on your grammar. (Do work on punctuation, though.) As to how to motivate a guy to play well? That's supposed to come from with. It's supposed to be a matter of pride. When teams assess draft-eligible, they're supposed to guage that player's desire to play well. Who knows what happens when they start making millions.

Trade 'em all, some of you guys are saying. (BLAIR GABLE)

QUESTION: Mr.McGran:

There is no question the Leafs need to trade: Phaneuf, Kessel, JVR, Gardiner and Kadri if they are going to turn this team around for the future. But why is nobody in Toronto writing about the lack of depth, toughness and heart on this team? You bring up Orr and maybe another young banger and actually roll four lines....and you will see an immediate improvement. As Nick Kypreos said yesterday, the Leafs can't answer the bell and "push back" because they don't have anyone to do it with. It's a whole team of passengers. I have been watching this team for a very long time and this is the weakest, wimpiest most heartless team I have ever seen. Where is SHANAHAN? "We'll see what they are made of.....?" Where has he been for the last few months and did he not see what happened to them the last eight years, especially the last four as they collapsed over and over? Fire Nonis and Shanahan..........for going into the season with this team and expecting a different result when the core is the same. How is the new coach going into each game with the same lineup and STILL not ROLLING a FOURTH LINE of BANGERS and expecting to win?

Truly a professional disgrace. And for an entertainment industry.....just incredibly BORING HOCKEY........people spend their hard earned money and their hard earned time to be Entertained and Represented by players with Pride and Heart...................Kessel for Monahan and start the re-build....I think Toronto Sports writers are missing the bigger point: The Leafs are no longer representing their fans they are a disgrace and we want a re-build, we want trades, we want a coach that will try something different to win and sees a place for toughness.

-McCabe/Ottawa

ANSWER: They had Orr the last three years, and still collapsed. A fighter's not the answer. Who would he fight? No, we're seeing captain vs. captain fights now (Phaneuf vs. Eric Staal) and, as long as fighting is allowed, I'm okay with that. The Leafs don't have character right now. I guess that's what they're trying to find. And with Lupul, Holland and Komarov all out, they're fourth liners are playing the third line. And the Marlies are on the fourth line. So, yes, they don't have much by way of depth.

So Sean Monahan for Kessel? Why would Calgary do that? The teams that will want Kessel this year will be teams vying for the Stanley Cup. And Calgary's not doing that. As for the coach, Peter Horachek is trying something different. And Randy Carlyle tried toughness. They're not tough.

QUESTION: I own some retail stores for the past 30 years or so.

Some gals that work for us are good at selling, some gals are good at folding and some don’t mind taking out the trash And as long as I don’t make the sales gals take out the trash and the other gals know their roles business has been good.

So why do the Leafs try to make Kessel and a few take out the trash – when sales are their thing? I always think you should work to people's strengths – and at our end sales are the toughest commodity to find? So we would never try to train as sales girl to fold or take out the trash…anyone can do that?

Thanks, Arch

ANSWER: "Gals?" Can I print this in The Star? Well, we're going to find out. But only because you're name is Arch. I think guys named Arch should be able to use words like "gal." And for the record, I just took out the trash before sitting down to answer everybody's questions. But then I'm not very good at sales. So that's my role.

I see your point. I think that's how Ron Wilson tried to coach. And Randy Carlyle, to a certain extent. They knew they had a run-and-gun team and were going to live by it or die by it. The results speak to why Peter Horachek is going down a different path. Your point is well-taken, though.

QUESTION: Hi Kevin.

I read a fair bit about the Leafs having bad puck luck right now with a relatively low save percentage and very low shooting percentage. I have also read that, on the issue of shooting, total shots and total scoring chances are up. So a couple of questions about this:

1. Are the Leafs simply not good at scoring on shots that other teams are because they haven't focused on getting those shots for a long time? Are the Leafs forwards simply trained to score on a different shot selection? If so, do you think players like Kessel, who is an amazing scorer, can simply adjust? I guess that's like asking whether Kessel really is like a Patrick Kane or whether he can really only be a great rush scorer.

2. Are the Leafs goalies simply not great when not getting a lot of shots? I have read some analyses that suggest that with an increase in shots, goalies tend to put up a higher save percentage. Are the Leaf goalies simply not that great when the shot total is lower, maybe because the action isn't high enough to keep them sharp through the game? If so, do we have the wrong goalies for the type of game the leafs want to play?

Thanks, Brandon

ANSWER: Great Qs, Brandon. The Leafs shooting percentage (under Carlyle) was high, in my opinion, because they got a lot of great quality shots, based on odd-man rushes. Goalies never knew if Kessel was going to pass or shoot, so scoring off the rush was a great weapon for that first line.

Now, they're being asked to play a different way: dump, chase, retrieve and cycle it until they get a chance. The top line's speed is nullified in such instances. They have to score in grittier fashion and are not used to it. They score of rebounds way less than the league average (more on that coming this weekend, so stay tuned.)

As for the goalie question, save percentage is important -- and usually inflated when teams get 40 shots a game -- but I don't put a great deal of weight into it (a missed shot doesn't factor into a goalie's save percentage even though the player probably missed because the goalie gave him nothing to shoot at). Teams care more about scoring chances than they do about shots. I wish their was some way to measure save percentage on scoring chances. Maybe there is, but scoring chances really are subjective, and in the eye of the beholder.

That said, I'm less and less impressed with Jonathan Bernier this year after his season last year. I have a very unscientific way of measuring goalies. I ask myself whether he stole a game. Bernier did that regularly last year. James Reimer did it regularly in his rookie year. Neither are doing much of it lately.

QUESTION: Kevin, what is up with these Leafs? Who are you going to blame this time? You got rid of the coach to appease a couple of players who didn’t like to work that hard, while I watched the beginning of the season I said this team is playing like it is play offs, they will be burnt out by Christmas, and guess what they are, or were?

My opinion is this: This team doesn’t have to do anything but show up and they all know it, the fans will be there no matter how they play, so my opinion is that it is the fans fault that this Toronto team plays the way they do.

The fact is, this team charges the most for tickets to watch these players.

Regardless of how this team plays, the only one thing that they can count on is the fans to show up to watch their disgraceful attempt at a hockey game

You people have blamed everyone for this teams losing attitude, but my opinion is it belongs to the fans and to the fans alone.

When these stupid fans stop going to the games to watch their display or attempt at just showing up then and only then will this franchise wake up?

The players will know that they have to produce or they may be out of a job, they may not have a team to play for and their pay checks will be in jeopardy, and it will put a lot of people like yourself out of a job.

The province of Ontario is in a spiral down turn, and yet somebody has the money to pay for these tickets, whether it be companies or not. The money that these companies use to buy these over priced tickets could be put to better use for the people that they employ, like a pay raise etc., and i am sure that these under paid employees will not be using their pay check to buy over priced Leaf tickets.

Can you belief this that the Leaf’s have had their fans charged with public mischief for showing any sort of disgust at their play. The fans who have paid their pay checks and the team is turning on these stupid people who show up to watch these pathetic players who only can say (Kessel) in a tired tone of voice, we are trying, are you kidding me with the amount you are being paid and you got the nerve to even show your face on national TV to make a fibula attempt at an excuse as to why you can’t score a goal, perhaps you should make a better attempt while your on the ice

This team has not won anything since 1966. Do you realize how many years ago that is?????, and yet they still have a franchise!!!!!,

When Ballard was there you said he was cheap and refused to pay for the better players, this team has had its share of good players, good goalies, and good coaches, all have been blamed for the teams poor performance,

I say it is the fans fault, when they stop going to the games and supporting this pathetic franchise, only then will the players and the owners wake up to the pathetic state of this organization.

Recently the coach was fired, why was that, because he could not get the players to perform, and why was that, because the players didn’t have to, they knew the fans would support them anyway they played all they have to do is show up, so i say if the fans stop showing up then the team may get a wake up call

Bring in another team into Toronto and lets see how many fans show up at the Leafs game, I bet money on the fact that the arena will be pretty much empty, all except for the boxes that companies buy and give the tickets away, because the people don’t want to watch this poor excuse for a national hockey team

So my question or comment is who will you be blaming next the only people left are the fans, who pay money to watch this?

Thank you for reading this but my family are strong supporters of this team and I think it is pathetic that this organization has not produced a cup in the last 40 years, and not only that, they haven’t even come close it is the team, as a whole that is to blame, their attitude towards the fans, that they don’t have to win, the seats will be full anyway they play, therefore their pay checks will be secure, hit them in the pocket book, maybe then their attitude will change

IF THE AIR CANADA STADIUM WAS EMPTY WOULD THE TEAM GET THE DRIFT THAT THEIR PERFORMANCE WAS UNACCEPTABLE OR BRING IN ANOTHER TEAM AND SEE IF THE LEAF’S GET THE SAME SUPPORT FROM THESE STUPID FANS SUPPORT,

I PERSONALLY CHEER FOR MONTREAL OR OTTAWA BEFORE I WOULD WASTE MY TIME CHEERING FOR THESE LOSERS

-Elizabeth

ANSWER: You said all that without swearing. I'm impressed.

QESTION: Hi Kevin,

Was watching one of the games this week (believe it was TSN) and one of the reporters said something along the lines (please don’t quote me 100%) if the Leafs fall out of the playoff race by more than eight points at this time of the year, the per cent chances of making the playoffs falls to single digits. The Leafs as of Monday January 19th are 7 points back. Let’s assume more or less by this Friday it remains 7 points give or take. Basically to me, this sounds like the season is pretty much done. No more playoffs, yet again. If you are the GM, what do you do leading up to the trade deadline? For me, I try and get rid of some of the big contracts and hope the team finishes in the top 5 draft pick for next year. Hold on to a few names like Reilly, van Riemsdyk and perhaps a few others. I know trades are a lot harder these days with the cap system, but surely something can be done no? This main core group has to go in my opinion.

Regards, Justin

ANSWER: Yes, trades are very hard in the cap system. But not impossible. Jeff Carter was traded twice with a supposedly untradable contract. But you'd have to take something the other team doesn't want. Vincent Lecavalier. Mike Richards. The best way is to wait until the trade deadline, when the remaining salary for the year is at its lowest and the cap space other teams have saved up is at its maximum. (There is no salary cap in the playoffs.) That way teams have some wiggle room and can figure out their long-term implications in the summer. You can also retain salary. The Leafs are paying the Blues $200,000 this year and next year on Carl Gunnarsson's salary.

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